Jack Harrison (Credit: Imago)
Jack Harrison has seen his reputation with Leeds United supporters shift dramatically over the years.
Harrison was a pivotal part in achieving promotion from the Championship under Marcelo Bielsa, with the winger joining United on two separate loan spells in the Championship before eventually joining the Whites permanently in 2021.
Most Read on The Leeds Press
Whilst he may not always have had the best end product and was a frustrating watch at times, fans always respected Harrison’s desire and work ethic when donning the famous white shirt.
However, following Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League in 2023, Harrison’s relationship with the supporters turned sour after choosing to spend two years on loan at Everton rather than helping Leeds regain their top-flight status.
Jack Harrison opens up about what makes Leeds special
Despite Daniel Farke making the controversial decision to reintegrate Harrison into the Leeds squad last summer, this was ultimately short-lived, as Harrison left the club again in January on loan after the Englishman failed to break back into the starting XI.
However, following his latest move away to Serie A, Harrison was asked about Leeds in a recent interview he did with Henry Winter and FourFourTwo.
Harrison admitted that he “misses” Elland Road’s atmosphere and often speaks about it to former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, who is also his teammate at Fiorentina.
“I miss the atmosphere of Elland Road. It’s special. I speak to David de Gea, and he always says that going to Elland Road was incredible.
“A lot of people admire the environment there. They’re very passionate fans. When you have that energy, and everything’s going well around the stadium, it really does give you a boost,” Harrison said.
Harrison also opened up about his reasons for leaving Leeds for a third time, after playing a total of just 263 Premier League minutes in the first half of the campaign.
“It was a difficult start to the season. It was something that I hadn’t faced before in my career for an extended period of time, just not playing.
“It’s very positive coming here. I’m getting more minutes and playing in the Conference League has been an incredible experience, travelling and playing, a small taste of what it would be like in the Champions League,” Harrison said.
READ MORE:£20m Leeds United flop already has summer escape route from Elland Road lined up
Jack Harrison is likely to return to Elland Road this summer
Although Fiorentina have a £6million purchase option for Harrison in the summer, his lacklustre form so far in Italy means they are unlikely to trigger their buy option.
Harrison has featured in eight Serie A games so far for Fiorentina, with just four of them being starts
In 460 total minutes in the league, he has yet to score and has only registered one assist
Harrison has yet to create a big chance in Serie A (Sofascore)
This means Harrison is likely to return to West Yorkshire in the summer, and rather than keeping a player who clearly does not want to be at Leeds anymore, the 49ers will be tasked with finding a permanent buyer for the Englishman.
However, his form over the last 18 months or so will not make this easy, meaning a ludicrous fourth loan exit for Harrison could be on the cards come the end of the season.
READ MORE:“Leeds want to…” – Ex-Manchester United chief outlines Leeds United’s sensational Joe Rodon stance